RS Election: Defeat a lesson for the BJP

Published: Wed, 08/09/2017 - 11:43
Updated: Wed, 08/09/2017 - 11:47

Top Congress strategist Ahmed Patel clings on to Rajya Sabha seat

Congress MLA Ahmed Patel’s victory in Gujarat’s Rajya Sabha election comes as a great relief to the Congress party and a shock to the BJP. Expressing happiness over Patel’s victory, Congress president Sonia Gandhi thanked the Election Commission for its decision to disqualify votes of two rebel Congress MLAs who showed their ballot papers to BJP president Amit Shah. "Thank God for the Election Commission," said Gandhi on the victory.

In its order disqualifying the two rebel Congress MLAs, the EC last night declared their votes invalid for showing their ballot papers to Shah. "BJP stands exposed of personal vendetta and political terror", stated Patel after emerging victorious in the high-pitch battle between the BJP and Congress.

Reacting to the win, senior Congress leader and Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, Ghulam Nabi Azad said that this defeat is a lesson for the BJP and they are free to approach any court. Senior Congress leader and former finance minister, P Chidambaram said, “Money, muscle and manipulation could not win in the Gujarat RS election. BJP can break a few weak Congress MLAs, but BJP cannot break the Congress party.”

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee also congratulated Ahmed Patel for winning the Rajya Sabha elections from Gujarat. "@ahmedpatel Ji congratulations for a big fight. Good fight. Good win," Banerjee said in a Twitter post.

This will be Ahmed Patel’s fifth term in the Rajya Sabha from Gujarat; his victory comes as a great boost to the Congress party that has been on a loosing streak. The other two Rajya Sabha seats from the state were won by BJP’s Amit Shah and union minister Smriti Irani with 46 votes each.